Have you ever come across a sentence that goes something like “this is to that as that is to this.” You might be curious about what these sentence structures are called. This article will explain all you need to know about how they work and what to call them.
What Is a Sentence Structure Like “Is to as Is to” Called?
A sentence structure like “Is to as Is to” is called an analogy. You can use it when pairing two similar items with another pair of similar items to show the connection. An example sentence is “five is to numbers as whales are to the ocean.”
The sentences don’t always make that much sense when you first read them. They are used in aptitude tests to try and test people to find the best connection.
It helps people with their verbal reasoning skills to figure out why something is related to another thing.
You may also find that colons are used in place of “is to” and “as.”
- A : B :: C : D
What Does “Is to as Is to” Mean?
It would help to know more about what the phrase means.
“blank is to blank as blank is to blank” means that two terms are related to each other in the same way as two other terms. The connection or relationship between the terms isn’t always clear at first glance.
It takes a while for people to figure out where the connections might lie. That’s why it’s common for SAT and aptitude tests to include things like this to test the reasoning of the student.
It helps people to figure out different ways of thinking on the spot.
You might also find that alternative phrases are used, such as:
- _ is related to _ in the same way as _ is related to _
Generally, one of the terms is left out in a test. So, you might be presented with something like this:
- A is to B as C is to _
The idea is for someone to fill in the blank to show that they understand the connection.
How to Use “This Is to This as That Is to That” in a Sentence
Perhaps a few more examples will help you to figure out more about analogies. They’re useful to have in your arsenal for when you might need to demonstrate your reasoning.
- Foxes are to dogs, as lions are to cats.
- A is to B, as C is to D.
- Five is to numbers, as blue is to colours.
- Yes is to no, as zero is to one.
- I am to you, as he is to her.
- We are to them as they are to us.
- Disorder is to war as civility is to society.
As you can see, analogies are used to pair seemingly different terms with each other. It gives you a chance to try to make the connection when you otherwise might not think about it.
How to Write a Colon Analogy
Colon analogies are one way you can write analogies. It’s fairly common for SAT tests to have colon analogies when expressing similarities between items.
To write a colon analogy, you simply replace “is to” and “as” with colons. The colons help to share common connections between the terms used.
So, it would work like the following:
- A is to B as C is to D.
- A : B :: C : D
The colon analogy is fairly easy to work out.
“Is to” represents a single colon. You should place a colon between the similar terms of each group (i.e. “A : B” and “C : D”).
Two colons are used to represent the “as.” This shows that the two individual groups have a common connection with each other.
In some cases, a colon analogy also allows you to connect any part of the analogy with another part.
A : B :: C : D could mean:
- A is to B as C is to D.
- A is to D as C is to B.
- A is to C as B is to D.
Final Thoughts
The sentence structure “Is to as Is to” is an example of analogies. Analogies allow you to find connections between two seemingly unrelated words. It’s common to find them in aptitude tests or SATs, where you are asked to test your reasoning to figure out the connection.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
